Take your mind off of your hectic holiday schedule for a few hours and read The Rope by Nevada Barr. You will get to follow protagonist Anna Pigeon through her adventures working at the Glen Canyon National Recreation Area, an artificial lake surrounded by an amazing desert. Besides being a first class whodunit, this novel addresses the environmental, social and emotional issues that arise when large numbers of people utilize isolated wilderness areas.

We will be meeting at my house 63452 Winters Rd. in North Joshua Tree. From down town JT, Turn North on Sunburst, Right on Golden, left on Border, keep your eyes out for Pole and Del Oro signs and turn right on Winters, with the street sign on the left hand side of the road and the Book Club sign on your right. Drive one mile and I'll be on the left with the reflective orange triangle on a post and another Book Club sign. See you at 7:00 on January 2nd! —Kip

The book for February will be The Temptation of St. Anthony, by Flaubert, at Mother House.